03
Mar
Elevated Pesticide Hazards from Plastic Contamination Focus of International, State, and Local Action
(Beyond Pesticides, March 3, 2025) When the United Nations (UN) adjourned the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), said, “The world’s commitment to ending plastic pollution is clear and undeniable.” She continued, “Here in Busan [Korea], talks have moved us closer to agreeing on a global legally binding treaty that will protect our health, our environment, and our future from the onslaught of plastic pollution.” In March 2022, the UN Environment Assembly adopted UNEA Resolution 5/14 entitled “End plastic pollution: Towards an international legally binding instrument.” With the Trump Administration shutting down environmental programs and exiting from collaborative international environmental agreements, the work of the world community has taken on elevated importance, given the urgency of health, biodiversity, and environmental crises; so, too, has the work going on at the state level and in local communities across the United States. The interconnectedness of the pesticide and plastic problems was brought into focus recently with a scientific review of articles showing elevated pesticide hazards linked to plastic contamination.
A literature review in Agriculture, covering over 90 scientific articles documents how microplastics increase the bioavailability, persistence, and toxicity of pesticides used in agriculture. Because of their widespread infiltration into the environment and the bodies of all organisms, including humans, plastics contamination requires a holistic strategy to protect life— with consideration given to practices and chemical use that reduce or eliminate harm. Pesticides and other toxic chemicals are adsorbed (adhered) to microplastics, resulting in bioaccumulation and widespread contamination.
This adds to the complexity of the pesticide problem, a part of the complex interactions of pesticides in the environment and human body that is largely ignored by federal regulatory agencies. While most environmental policies attempt to clean up or mitigate health threats, accumulating data on the harm associated with plastics and related contamination reinforces the necessity for all government agencies to participate in a comprehensive strategy to eliminate plastics and pesticides. However, with drastic cuts and uncertainty at the federal level, the public must look for state and local opportunities to advance policies and programs that protect health and the environment.
Tell your governor and state legislators to pass a “beyond plastics” bill to reduce harm from microplastics and their interaction with pesticides and other toxic chemicals AND >> Tell Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to use the Federal Food and Drug Administration to get plastics out of food.
There are many uses of plastic—from artificial turf to plastic mulch to water pipes—that release toxic chemicals in use and micro- or nanoplastics as they degrade and should be eliminated. However, one broad class of plastic can be singled out because it is destined for immediate disposal—and disintegration into microplastics. Single-use plastics are therefore the target of statewide legislation that has been passed in Vermont and New Jersey. Beyond Plastics has drafted a model a model bill for statewide and local legislation to eliminate single-use plastics. This bill bans many of the most common sources of single-use plastic pollution—plastic bags, plastic straws, stirrers, splash guards, polystyrene, and balloon releases.
Beyond Pesticides is working to get plastics out of organic agricultural production, processing, and packaging, and out of food production in general. The use of natural organic materials in compost and mulch is foundational to organic. Beyond Pesticides has urged the National Organic Standards Board to call for the elimination of plastic in organic to be a research priority so that restrictions can be adopted as soon as possible. See Beyond Pesticides’ comments.
Please note that some states have passed harmful preemption laws that prevent the banning of plastic bags and other items in local municipalties. Click here to find out which states have passed a preemption law for plastics. If so, you will not be able to pass the Beyond Plastics bill and should focus on trying to get your state to strike down its preemption law. (See here for background on preemption of local pesticide restrictions.)
There are many uses of plastic in food production and packaging that release toxic chemicals and micro- or nanoplastics. This has created a public health threat. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (2024) found that out of a total of 257 patients completing the study, polyethylene was detected in the carotid artery plaque of 150 patients (58.4%), with a mean level of 2% of plaque; 31 patients (12.1%) also had measurable amounts of polyvinyl chloride, with a mean level of 0.5% of plaque. Microplastics have also been found in human lungs, blood, feces, breast milk, the brain, and placenta.
Highly hazardous PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are leaching out of plastic containers and contaminating food products, according to research published in Environment Technology and Letters. The data confirm the results of prior research focused on the propensity of PFAS to contaminate various pesticide products through storage containers.
The evolving science on plastics contamination and their interaction with pesticides is yet another reason to transition to holistic land management systems that take on the challenge of eliminating hazardous chemical use. Organic land management policy creates the holistic systems framework through which plastics can be eliminated in agriculture. Again, eliminating plastic is important not only because of the direct effects of plastic pollution on human health and the environment, but also because they provide a vehicle for antibiotics, pesticides, and other toxic chemicals to enter into our bodies and the ecosystem, often with enhanced toxicity.
Tell your governor and state legislators to pass a “beyond plastics” bill to reduce harm from microplastics and their interaction with pesticides and other toxic chemicals AND >> Tell Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to use the Federal Food and Drug Administration to get plastics out of food.
All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.
Letter to governor and states legislators
A recent literature review in Agriculture covering over 90 scientific articles documents how microplastics increase the bioavailability, persistence, and toxicity of pesticides used in agriculture. Because of their widespread infiltration into the environment and the bodies of all organisms, including humans, plastics contamination requires a holistic strategy to protect life— with consideration given to practices and chemical use that reduce or eliminate harm. Pesticides and other toxic chemicals are adsorbed (adhered) to microplastics, resulting in bioaccumulation and widespread contamination.
This adds to the complexity of the problem, which is largely ignored by federal regulatory agencies. While most environmental policies attempt to clean up or mitigate health threats, accumulating data on the harm associated with plastics and related contamination reinforces the necessity for all government agencies to participate in a comprehensive strategy to eliminate plastics and pesticides. Unfortunately, with drastic cuts and uncertainty at the federal level, we must look for state and local opportunities to advance policies and programs that protect health and the environment.
There are many uses of plastic—from artificial turf to plastic mulch to water pipes—that release toxic chemicals in use and micro- or nanoplastics as they degrade and should be eliminated. However, one broad class of plastic can be singled out because it is destined for immediate disposal—and disintegration into microplastics. Single-use plastics are therefore the target of statewide legislation that has been passed in Vermont and New Jersey.
Beyond Plastics has drafted a model bill (https://bp-dc.org/ beyond-plastics-bill) for statewide legislation to eliminate single-use plastics. This bill bans many of the most common sources of single-use plastic pollution—plastic bags, plastic straws, stirrers, splash guards, polystyrene, and balloon releases.
The evolving science on plastics contamination and their interaction with pesticides is yet another reason to transition to holistic land management systems that take on the challenge of eliminating hazardous chemical use. Organic land management policy creates the holistic systems framework through which plastics can be eliminated in agriculture.
Again, eliminating plastic is important not only because of the direct effects of plastic pollution on human health and the environment, but also because they provide a vehicle for antibiotics, pesticides, and other toxic chemicals to enter into our bodies and the ecosystem, often with enhanced toxicity.
Please introduce legislation based on the Beyond Plastics model bill.
Thank you.
Letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
A recent literature review in Agriculture covering over 90 scientific articles documents how microplastics increase the bioavailability, persistence, and toxicity of pesticides used in agriculture. Because of their widespread infiltration into the environment and the bodies of all organisms, including humans, plastics contamination requires a holistic strategy to protect life— with consideration given to practices and chemical use that reduce or eliminate harm. Pesticides and other toxic chemicals are adsorbed (adhered) to microplastics, resulting in bioaccumulation and widespread contamination.
This adds to the complexity of the problem, which is largely ignored by federal regulatory agencies. While most environmental policies attempt to clean up or mitigate health threats, accumulating data on the harm associated with plastics and related contamination reinforces the necessity for all government agencies, with the Department of Health and Human Services leading, to participate in a comprehensive strategy to eliminate plastics and pesticides.
There are many uses of plastic in food production and packaging that release toxic chemicals and micro- or nanoplastics. This has created a public health threat. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (2024) found that out of a total of 257 patients completing the study, polyethylene was detected in carotid artery plaque of 150 patients (58.4%), with a mean level of 2% of plaque; 31 patients (12.1%) also had measurable amounts of polyvinyl chloride, with a mean level of 0.5% of plaque. Microplastics have also been found in human lungs, blood, feces, breast milk, the brain, and placenta.
Highly hazardous PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are leaching out of plastic containers and contaminating food products, according to research published in Environment Technology and Letters. The data confirm the results of prior research focused on the propensity of PFAS to contaminate various pesticide products through storage containers.
Please use your authority to instruct FDA to eliminate through regulation microplastics from our food and water supply.
Thank you.
